The present invention relates to radio frequency identification devices and electronic price label systems, and more specifically to a system and method of managing inventory.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail or shelf channel along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file.
RFID technology provides an alternative to bar code reader technology for distinguishing and recording items for purchase. Some of the uses of RFID technology are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,394 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
Store associates must perform routine tasks throughout the store and require information to support operation of the store. Inventory management is on routine task which can be labor intensive. Store associates must routinely count and report numbers of items and track their locations within the store.
Therefore, it would be desirable to combine the communication capabilities of electronic price label systems with RFID technology in order to perform inventory management.